Jaws of Hell
by tardestiel
Summary: Supernatural fanfiction. Hell is beckoning, and after retrieving an old artifact, Sam, Dean and Castiel must put things right for the Winchester family. A trip down memory lane.
1. The Plan

**Part 1 – The Plan**

Castiel looked up, exasperated. 'I do not like this plan,' he said in his gravely monotone. It echoed in the metal barn.

Dean looked away sharply, swinging his arms with him. He's 'pissed', Castiel thought. Sometimes it was hard choosing between what he thought was right, and the friend he didn't want to lose. But Dean had been right before, about everything. Maybe it was time to trust his judgement.

'You're either with me, or you're against me. And you are not getting in my way. Not again Cas.'

Cas reluctantly looked Dean in the eyes. 'Ok. I want you to know that I'm doing this because…You're my only friends.' He looked away shyly, blushing and rubbing the back of his neck.

Dean looked at Cas and, for the first time in a while, saw his guardian again. He wasn't one for letting his emotions show, but he would have shed a single tear. Instead, as usual, he covered everything up with a joke.

'Well Cas, it's good to have you back. You may be a royal pain in the arse, but you're my royal pain in the arse.'

At that moment, Sam walked in clutching a duffel bag for dear life. 'Did I miss anything?' he said suspiciously, raising an eyebrow at the duo.

'Just some bonding,' replied Castiel. 'Do you have everything?'

Dean whispered, 'Dude. No homo,' in Castiel's ear.

'I don't know-' Cas began.

'Er…every item bar one,' he said, shaking the bag. 'Get this. We need a branch from an apple tree. Not just any apple tree, the one in the Garden of Eden.'

The brothers slowly turned to look at Cas. Dean smiled a toothy grin. Cas just glared.

'Fine,' said Cas eventually. 'Do you realise how tiring this is?'

He disappeared like a howling wind, and re-appeared a few seconds later wielding a freshly sharpened stake. He was covered in blood. As if predicting what they would say, he muttered 'It was guarded,' and threw the branch into the bag.

'We ready?' shouted Dean enthusiastically.

'I think so.' said Sam, half smiling. He gestured towards the rickety door.

Dean ran through to the car, singing Highway to Hell with Cas in tow.

'I call shotgun,' said Cas.

'Ha! That's my boy!' screeched Dean, patting Cas painfully on the back. Cas smiled.

Sam gave Dean the look. 'Oh quit it, will you Sammy? He called shotgun,' Dean said, stretching out his arms. 'They are the rules.'

So Castiel got in the front, smirking to himself.

When Dean stepped into the small blue Hyundai and glanced in the rear-view mirror, he let out a belly laugh. Sam was hunched in the back, squashed by the seats.

'Cas, look at the Gruffalo.' he said, and they both roared until they couldn't breathe any longer. Sam looked angrily out of the window.

'You done?' he said finally.

Dean strapped himself in. 'Oh we are just getting started. You look like such a child.'

Bitch face.

'Now how's about we gank some demons, grab our brother back from the jaws of hell, and be back in time for some apple pie!'


	2. Jaws

**Part 2 - Jaws**

'Wooo, road trip!' Dean turned on the radio, only to find a pop track. He turned it off again and there was a long pause. 'That…was disgusting. So, Cas. Do you like any music? Do you get Angel MTV or whatever?'

'No. What is the purpose of these melodies?' he said with a face of genuine bewilderment.

'I dunno. It gets you pumped, y'know? Ready for some action. Or at least…my stuff does.' Dean rummaged around in the glove compartment and found his AC/DC tape. TNT blared from the speakers and Dean sang along.

'Cause I'm TNT! I'm dynamite. TNT! And I'll win the fight!' Sam sighed. 'TNT! I'm a power load. TNT! Watch me explooooooode!'

Cas looked shocked.

'C'mon! That's badass. You wanna know what the point is? Listening to that before blundering into hell, I think "Yeah, I'm gonna explode and take these sons of bitches with me. I will win the fight. Because AC/DC said so, and they are musical Gods".'

'I think I understand,' bellowed Cas over the music, after much thought. 'I have no need to get 'pumped'. I just think about how I have to protect you and Sam.'

'Yeah. Well, we appreciate it.' said Dean, turning the music down and looking fondly at him.

'Aww, sweet' muttered Sam.

'Oh, he speaks! Hey Sammay!' Dean slapped his brother on the leg. 'How's it like where you are?'

'You're very funny,' he replied grumpily.

'Try to lighten up man. We've got a lot of road to cover before Wyoming.'

'I can't Dean. The place brings back bad memories.' Sam glanced off into the distance. 'It's where we last saw Dad.'

Dean was silent. After a long while, he turned the up the volume and accelerated.

'Dean…'

'Don't "Dean" me Sam.'

'Sooner or later this is going to eat you alive. We both feel this, lets just talk. You can't just keep things inside Dean.'

'Sam's right,' said Cas, staring at Dean. He was worried.

'I can and will,' snapped Dean, as he drove off into the sunset.

* * *

'Here we are.' Dean said, slamming the door and causing the car to shake with Sam still inside. 'Wyoming. Did you know that it's the least populated state in America? Why is that?'

'I don't know,' wondered Cas.

Sam wound down the window. 'Dean.'

'It's covered by mountain ranges,' Dean began.

'Dean.'

'It does have two national parks though…'

'Dean child lock.'

'And a lot of hot women.' Dean smirked.

'DEAN!' Sam screamed, banging on the glass.

'I could see myself living here.' Dean said, wondering off.

Sam wound down the window fully, compressed his dangling limbs, and climbed out of it with great difficulty. He walked past Dean, patting him on the shoulder. 'Thanks a lot.'

Dean unzipped their bag and pulled out the glistening new Colt.

'How did you get that?' Cas looked amazed.

'Ah, we made a copy of the plans from the man himself, when you zapped us back to 1861,' said Dean, proud of himself. 'Let's just say we got an old friend to bake us a new Colt pie and prick it with C.'

'Crowley? Why would he help you?'

'He'll take any offer if there's a chance to stick it to Lucifer,' said Sam.

'Why couldn't he give us entrance to hell?' Cas looked fuming.

'This is the funny part' laughed Sam. 'His words: "I can't have my minions thinking the King of Hell has gone soft by siding with the Winchesters."'

'Yeah, it's all about the ego,' said Dean. 'Sounds like Crowley. Looks like we're doing this the hard way.' He smiled a little too enthusiastically and walked off into the distance. Cas appeared before him. 'Dean.'

'Devil's Gate's the other way!' yelled Sam.

Dean stopped dead in his tracks. 'I knew that!' he cried. 'I was looking for a nice picnic spot.'

* * *

When the golden gates loomed, Sam was having second thoughts.

'Are you sure they repaired the train lines?'

'Yeah, I'm sure as can be Sam. There is a HUGE devil's trap surrounding us, and we have taken so many precautions with this one.'

'I'm just not sure we should risk it. It's not just our lives on the line.'

'Dude, even if a few lone demons do get out, they'll be trapped in the least populated state. They shouldn't be too hard track down,' he looked at the floor, ashamed. 'Besides, he's our brother. We've put this off for too long. You of all people should know what it's like in the cage.'

Sam looked away, distressed. 'Yeah. Of course.'

Cas simply nodded.

'I need your head in the game Sammy. I want all that built up rage of yours to be used on the demons, not me,' said Dean.

They reached the gates. He dropped the bag on the floor. There was a moment of silence, but for the heaving panting, as Team Free Will mentally prepared themselves for the daring attempt ahead.

'Once we break him out, we can celebrate,' Dean said. 'Three's a crowd, but fours a party.'

Sam smiled.

'There we go,' whispered Dean, grinning at his little brother.

Cas reached into the bag and pulled out two large bags of salt, handing them to Dean. Dean whipped out the Colt and slipped it to Sam. Cas stood behind Dean, Sam in front next to the gate.

'You ready?' Dean said, as Sam and Cas nodded in unison. They knew what they had to do. Completely in sync.

The crickets were chirping, the dew was dripping, and they could see their breath in the air.

'Trip down memory lane,' said Sam.

'Keep up those high spirits,' Said Cas.

'GO!' said Dean.

They were off. Sam unlocked the Devil's gate with the Colt, and flung himself to the side as the doorway to hell opened on him. Dean could see the black fog approaching. Demons. He stood, frozen. He could hear barking. The hellhounds had his scent now. There was no turning back.

The demons had reached the opening and were on the very brink of spilling out and poisoning the sky. Hell was invisible behind them. We're going in blind, Dean thought. Son of a bitch, he thought.

By the time Sam was back by Dean's side, every single demon was upon them, whizzing off like comets in every direction.

They were engulfed.

Dean flung the salt bags high into the air. 'Eat this.' Sam and Dean covered their eyes with their Jackets.

Castiel stood, motionless, with one hand pointed directly at the cloud. Pure life energy exploded from his fingertips, hitting the salt bags in mid-flight and ricocheting light beams and powder everywhere. Crowley's minions screamed for mercy, and wisped straight back into the pit. This was their window.

Dean looked at Sam. Sam looked at Cas. Cas looked at Dean. Dean grabbed the bag. Then they ran, and ran, and ran. The demons were on their return run. Approaching again. No salt this time. It was a question of who would reach the gate first now.

Closer. Closer.

BANG.

The gates closed. The gates built to keep the armies of hell at bay, and they were all inside.


End file.
